Chapter 452: The Unleashing of Celestial Might

When he laid eyes on that Black Bull Demon God Supreme.

In that moment, Li Che conceived an idea—to grant this Black Bull a place among the Ten Fierce Ink Splatter Scroll.

A Demon God of the Second Calamity certainly deserved that title.

At the very least, after the Flooding of the Nine Nether Seas unleashed by the Old Dragon God of the First Calamity, even demons at the First Calamity or First Tribulation level were no longer worth his notice.

For the Second Fierce title, it must be occupied by someone at the level of the Third Tribulation of a single calamity.

However, it wasn’t a major issue—one could still enhance their strength by devouring demon souls via the Ten Fierce Ink Splatter Scroll.

Thus, Li Che would normally choose one that was on par, and the combat power couldn’t be too weak either.

To him, the Ten Fierce Ink Splatter Scroll worked much like Spiritual Confinement; when paired with the Divine Art “Demonic Immortal Nine Transitions” from the Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit, it could yield unexpected surprises.

It was like holding a trump card—combining the Ten Fierce Ink Splatter with Demonic Immortal Nine Transitions might vastly boost his power.

Inside the courtyard, the air simmered and swirled.

Since Qitian City had been occupied by demons for five hundred years, the entire city seemed shrouded in a sea of demonic energy, with a hazy, eerie mist swirling about.

That mist, seeping from the Bizarre Temple, wasn’t the sanctuary itself, yet it possessed a power strong enough to obscure the will of Heaven and Earth.

Seated cross-legged in the courtyard, Li Che calmed his mind as the Cosmic Chessboard burst into existence, cutting off all prying gazes.

Outside, the Black Bull Demon God Supreme had set a demon deity on surveillance—a move that didn’t trouble Li Che in the slightest.

Even if a demon God at the level of First Calamity and Second Tribulation tried to tear open the Cosmic Chessboard to spy on him, it was simply impossible; the result would be the same even if the Black Bull Demon God Supreme himself took the initiative.

Now, the Chess Sage Dao Fruit had reached the Iv6 stage, granting him a powerful edge—only Li Che was peeking, and it was extremely difficult for anyone to counter-surveil him.

Rumbling loudly…

Within his chest, a wisp of demonic energy from the White Crane Demon God was drawn out, but it did not hinder the transformation of the Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit.

This transformation required some time—time Li Che found entirely acceptable.

So while he waited for the Dao Fruit to transform,

Li Che rose to gather and refine his martial prowess.

This time, in the battle against the White Crane Demon God, he had not exerted any Dao Calamity power—relying solely on martial arts—and under intense pressure, he finally unlocked the Martial Saint Fourfold Heavenly Gate.

However, unlike other Martial Saints who practice divine martial arts,

when they open their Heavenly Gate, a torrent of divine energy cascades down—a boundless, majestic divinity that

could be employed to refine the flesh and instigate metamorphosis.

In doing so, they could truly transcend to a top-tier state and prepare to challenge the Divine Calamity.

Yet with Li Che’s Golden Heavenly Gate, what gushed forth was none other than pure, unadulterated Martial Immortal Qi and Blood!

It was as if one could see a Martial Immortal calmly seated beyond the Golden Heavenly Gate.

That pure Qi and Blood relentlessly accelerated Li Che’s martial progress, sending his energy soaring.

Such a surge boosted his Qi and Blood levels to the point of triggering the activation of seven Qimen Divine Seeds.

Granted, it somewhat lagged behind the eight Qimen Divine Seeds mark,

but that was just his base Qi and Blood. Without even exploding a single divine seed, reaching such heights was unimaginable—and adding divine seeds would only cause his energy to swell further!

This powerful Qi and Blood, in turn, continuously tempered his Martial Immortal Golden Body, bestowing further improvements.

[Dragon Elephant Furnace: Martial Immortal Golden Body (12%)]

With a resounding rumble, Li Che raised his five fingers and gently clenched them, the sound of his tendons and bones echoing out.

He sensed a swirling flow throughout his body, noticing an increasing sprinkling of golden light along his meridians—covering a broader expanse with each passing moment.

The toughness of his flesh also improved markedly, owing largely to his already formidable physicality,

which could support the colossal torrent of Qi and Blood unleashed once his Heavenly Gate fully opened, washing away the crushing pressure on his body.

Harnessing that pressure, he further refined himself.

Exhaling deeply, Li Che stirred a wild, interlacing gale throughout the courtyard, cascading like a torrential flood.

While others would carefully pry open the Heavenly Gate just a crack to cautiously channel the divine energy,

Li Che instead brazenly flung the gate wide open, unleashing a torrent of Martial Immortal Qi and Blood.

Had anyone else attempted this, their flesh would likely have been torn apart by the overwhelming surge.

A spark of insight flickered before his eyes as shimmering light meandered across his vision.

[Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv7 18%)]

Around his ears, the resonant clash of Dragon Elephant sounds echoed. The Dao Fruit had reached Iv7, and further progress would now be extremely challenging.

Yet this time, opening the Heavenly Gate and slaying a demon deity only yielded a modest 3% increase in maturity—a fact that made Li Che furrow his brows slightly.

“Advancement is getting increasingly difficult,” he mused.

“To complete the Nine Transitions of the Dao Fruit, the difficulty must be even greater—”

Li Che gently shook his head, recalling the scenes of powerful cultivators lamenting about the arduous Nine Transitions when the Dao Fruit was transforming.

Closing his eyes briefly, he knew that the maturing of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit would also bring forth epiphanies.

Li Che had long been accumulating these martial insights.

Now, this epiphany might finally propel him to complete the transformation of his Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade—from Transcendent True Martial to Celestial Seed Martial Art.

Li Che had only just reached a modest breakthrough with the Qilin Sealing Inscription of the Celestial Seed.

Progressing further now would be exponentially more challenging.

And one Celestial Seed wasn’t sufficient—he aimed to transform all Eight Mysterious Gates Divine Seeds into Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seeds, while also enhancing his other martial skills.

In a low rumble, his mind stirred—there was still a hint of tribulation thunder at work.

It was the furious backlash of heaven and earth’s will triggered by his opening of the Heavenly Gate.

Casting a glance around the courtyard,

after rising, his ink-black robe billowed and the Ogre Mask on his face remained in place.

As he stepped forward, an inky mist enveloped him, and where he had stood, a Painted Immortal Clone of Ogre appeared wearing a Cute Cow Mask.

That was the Painted Immortal Clone—Ogre.

Grasping a Feilei Chess Piece with his five fingers, Li Che left behind his Painted Immortal Clones in the courtyard while he himself vanished without a trace.

Outside Qitian City’s outer walls and the courtyard,

a crack in the void revealed a shadow shrouded in a black robe, dangling as if falling from the sky, its eyes deep and filled with countless revolving orbs.

“At last, I’ve detected it—this Underworld. Its methods are indeed mysterious,”

the Night Bat Demon God murmured, “but it still cannot escape my ultrasonic perception!”

Earlier, when he scouted the small courtyard, he felt it was cloaked in a nebulous force, his ultrasonic senses caught in an enormous maze of loops.

Now at last, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal a crystal-clear vista.

He could even see within the courtyard where Ogre, Niu Yi, and two others sat meditating.

He let out a low, sinister chuckle—

the Night Bat Demon God laughed softly, and the void fissure sealed completely.

Only invisible, rippling waves continued to spread outward.

He kept a relentless watch over the happenings in the courtyard.

Outside Qitian City,

demonic energy raged uncontrollably while a blood-red rain, infused with the lament of demon gods, poured relentlessly from the Heavenly Dome.

An oppressive, stifling aura spread without cease.

After leaving the courtyard, Li Che first rejoined XiXi.

The little girl’s wide eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly watched the fierce battles erupting before Qitian City. Her flushed face betrayed her thrill.

After all, the fights at the city front were incredibly intense.

Even the weakest combatants were top-tier demon kings, though XiXi still longed to see confrontations among Divine Calamity-level experts.

After all, battles at such a level were a rare sight.

The ever-feisty XiXi naturally hoped to witness an epic showdown.

Moreover, the fall of the White Crane Demon God seemed to have shaken the aura of many prominent demon lords occupying Qitian City.

For instance, the Sword Antelope Demon God had taken the place of the fallen White Crane Demon God, manning Qitian City’s West Gate.

Up to now, no cultivator at the Divine Calamity level had dared challenge him—most challengers were top-tier demon kings under the command of the Sword Antelope Demon God.

After Li Che decimated a wave of demon kings, those under the Sword Antelope Demon God’s command were decidedly weaker than those under the White Crane Demon God’s rule.

After several fierce confrontations, a few top-tier warriors managed to overcome the demon kings and even enter Qitian City.

Compared to the opening of the Underworld itself, these top-tier entrants into Qitian City further stirred up excitement amongst the other fighters.

The battles grew ever more heated, with challengers appearing at both the South and North gates of Qitian City.

But such challenges were never without risk—just as an Underworld Ogre once killed a demon god, the demons of Qitian City, though their aura had weakened somewhat, bore a far deadlier murderous intent.

During these clashes, cultivators were slain and their flesh devoured, heightening the tension to an unbearable level.

After spending some time with XiXi, Li Che chose to move on.

When he reappeared, he was already aboard the Grand Canal that flowed into Jiangnan Dao.

Seated cross-legged on the river’s surface, Li Che watched as the canal’s waters churned wildly—as if enormous waves were stirred by a colossal, lurking sea dragon from the depths!

Above the Heavenly Dome, thunder crashed repeatedly, and interlacing lightning nearly illuminated the entire sky, disempowering even the somber black clouds.

Li Che’s ink-embroidered robe whipped in the wind as he sat like a solitary leaf afloat on the surging canal, rising and falling with each tide.

Boom!

Abruptly, a fierce bolt of thunder tore through the clouds, roaring as if it had taken on the very form of lightning, colliding with an immense surge of Qi and Blood.

Li Che stared in astonishment at the thunder infused with such raw energy.

But his surprise was fleeting—inside his chest, the Thunder Magnetic Conduit Dao Fruit danced wildly.

This Dao Fruit had long reached the lv5 stage and boasted a maturity of 95%, needing only one more trigger to transform.

Now, with the Heavenly Gate open, the summoned celestial thunder was just the catalyst needed for its transformation.

Li Che looked upward, gazing at the rapidly descending Thunder Dragon—its form seemingly brought to life by the confluence of Qi and Blood.

With a humming roar, Li Che’s entire being burst into radiant gold as his golden hair whipped wildly—the ebb of his aura climbing relentlessly.

Beneath him, the river exploded into a massive depression,

as he plunged skyward to engage in battle with the Thunder Dragon!

After weathering the calamity, Li Che emerged unscathed; his Martial Immortal Golden Body now so fortified that the thunder tribulation could not affect him in the slightest.

Taking a step forward, he found himself on Mo City Shandu as he entered Mo City.

Such tribulations must be faced in the outside world; only the will of Heaven and Earth can summon tribulation thunder.

Yet Li Che felt that practicing martial arts within Mo City was far more fitting—even if it destabilized Mo City, it would only serve to make it stronger in the end.

Thus, in his daily training, Li Che always chose to remain within Mo City.

Qitian City.

The enormous Qitian City was enveloped by surging, chaotic demonic energy.

The Black Bull Demon God Supreme no longer manifested his demonic aura across the sky over the city but instead gathered with numerous demon gods within the City Lord’s Residence of Qitian City.

Qitian City was divided into Outer and Inner sections.

The inner city was essentially the domain of Qitian Temple, which also housed the main precinct of the Bizarre Temple.

Even formidable beings like the Black Bull Demon God Supreme, who had long laid plans in Qitian City for five hundred years, had never set foot within it.

Seated in the City Lord’s Residence, the Black Bull Demon God Supreme was swathed in raging demonic energy, his eyes burning like twin red irons.

“Underworld Ogre—my subordinate Night Bat Demon God now monitors it,” he declared.

“The Underworld is shrouded in mystery, rivaling the might of Lie Shen Pavilion, though compared to them, it falls slightly short,”

boomed the Black Bull Demon God Supreme gravely.

Below him,

a demon god asked, “My Lord, are we really going to share Qitian City’s opportunity with the human race?”

“Even if human experts attack the city, it won’t be easy—entering the city would cost them dearly. They’d have to pay with numerous divine calamities to even break through.”

“Besides, we’ve occupied Qitian City for five hundred years. Why should we allow human cultivators to come and share our treasures?”

One demon god spoke out in discontent.

“And that Underworld Ogre—my Lord! The White Crane Demon God was slain by him. We should not show mercy; we must finish off the Underworld Ogre as well!”

One by one, demon gods cloaked in overwhelming demonic energy stood in the City Lord’s Residence, their murderous intent rising palpably.

However, the Black Bull Demon God Supreme merely shook his head and said, “Our target is the Temple Spirit Resonance—the Dou-Zhan Yulian Demon Saint of Qitian Temple. He belongs to our demon race, but he isn’t entirely so. When his Temple Spirit Resonance activates, if only demons participate, it won’t trigger the full effect.”

“Thus, we must bring in the human race to join the Temple Spirit Resonance—a diverse mixture that will fully stimulate it and grant us even greater benefits.”

The Black Bull Demon God Supreme spoke calmly.

As a Second Calamity Demon God, his words brooked no argument, leaving the assembled demon gods speechless.

“But what if—we fail to secure the Qitian Inheritance through the Temple Spirit Resonance?”

A demon god inquired hesitantly.

Yet the Black Bull Demon God Supreme replied with unshakable confidence, “That won’t happen—”

“The key to the Qitian Inheritance is ours, for Qitian belongs to the Demon Saint. Only demons can fully harness its power. Humans—unless they become half-demons—cannot produce true demonic energy.”

“Enough talk. The inheritance of the Qitian Demon Saint—”

“We, the Ten Thousand Rivers of demons, will never relinquish our claim. Humans will never contest our opportunity,”

declared the Black Bull Demon God Supreme fiercely, “I, as a demon, have never feared any challenge!

Now we need humans to balance the Temple Spirit Resonance.

But when the tables turn, it will be their demise!

No Underworld Ogre, no Divine Monkey, nothing escapes!

And that little one from Qianyuan Divine Sect—rumored to be the reincarnation of Yulian’s daughter—grab her and throw her into the ten-thousand rivers within the Bizarre Temple,

to our Ghostly Demon Den, so that maybe she will catalyze our eventual breach of Yulian,

earning us the supreme merit we deserve!

As the Black Bull Demon God Supreme’s words faded, the City Lord’s Residence erupted in a cacophony of wailing demon gods.

Demonic energy surged like boiling water, churning and bubbling endlessly.

Seated high above, the Black Bull Demon God Supreme sipped his blood wine, his eyes dark and menacing.

Within Mo City Shandu,

the thick Mo Mist lingered. Since Mo City was no longer in ruins, the restorative Mo Rain had ceased.

Sizzling sounds filled the air as lightning weaved around Li Che.

It was the lingering thunder from just after his tribulation.

Inside his chest, the Thunder Magnetic Conduit Dao Fruit trembled as if a celestial deity were beating a war drum.

Not only that, the Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit quivered violently—as if echoing the roar of a giant Peng soaring at full flight.

It was as if the sound of the Great Dao roared continuously, only subsiding after a long while into a gentle murmur.

[Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Conduit (lv6 0%)]

Slowly, shimmering light began to rotate.

Both Dao Fruits underwent a fourth transformation simultaneously!

For Li Che, it was an unprecedented experience.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Seated atop the Mo City Domination Tower, he looked out over the entire expanse of Mo City.

Winds and waves alternated in a fierce dance.

With each breath he took, Mo City seemed to hold its breath and gradually settle into silence.

In his mind, all distractions had vanished—only the whisper of Mo City’s winds and the gentle patter of Mo Rain remained.

Just as he completed a few calm breaths, his mind trembled.

He was about to plunge into the Dao Tree Space.

At the same moment, both Dao Fruits were about to transform into lv6 within the Dao Tree Space.

Amid swirling winds within the Dao Tree, the two Dao Fruits plummeted, their brilliant multicolored light scattering like shattered gems.

As if bathed in countless divine beams, the two fruits ascended while Li Che watched intently.

Suddenly, amidst a storm of thunder and lightning, a towering Thunder God materialized.

The other Dao Fruit exploded, conjuring an image of a terrifying, ancient Demon Emperor unfurling his wings as countless demons crawled in submission.

The space buckled and folded, and the vision shattered into fragments.

With a jolt, Li Che withdrew from Dao Tree Space.

Seated on top of the Domination Tower, his eyes snapped open as within the Mud Pellet realm, the Divine Transformation trembled in unison,

roaring ceaselessly.

One eye burned with interlacing thunder while the other blazed with rampant demonic energy!

It was as if the two Dao Fruits had merged into one.

[Dao Fruit lv6: Fourth Transformation: Divine Art (Yulian) Advancement, Dao Induction (Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure)]

[Dao Fruit Iv6: Fourth Transformation: Demonic Immortal Advancement, Dao Induction (Yin-Yang Demon Blade)]

Constant system notifications flashed before his eyes.

After the fourth transformation of both Dao Fruits, the newly acquired Dao Induction deepened Li Che’s inner reserves even further.

Seated atop the Domination Tower, his ink robe billowed as he began to study two forms of Dao Induction.

One was Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure—compressing his grasp of thunder to an utmost limit, the longer the compression, the mightier the eventual explosion.

Li Che felt this might even be used to upgrade his long-neglected Guanyin Lotus Bullet.

The evolution of the Chess Sage Dao Fruit had enhanced both Black and White extremes along with the Great Avalanche technique, boosting the Guanyin Lotus Bullet’s power to bombard Martial Saints.

But that was about as far as it would go—it was limited by the fundamental lack of ignition power.

Its destructive force was insufficient against top-tier adversaries.

Yet the newly awakened Dao Induction had opened a door for Li Che.

“I possess the Divine Xiao Thunder. What limits can I shatter if I compress it to its utmost?”

Raising his hand, streams of Divine Xiao Thunder sprang to life in his palm.

They crackled and twisted, as if distorting space itself.

Dao Induction·Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure!

At his mental command, the induction surged!

For a moment, his palm became a vortex, drawing in the spiraling thunder.

The Divine Xiao Thunder roiled and leaped!

And on-screen notifications kept rolling in:

[Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure: 5x]

5x … 10x … 15x and climbing.

Li Che’s hair whipped uncontrollably, every pore seemingly emitting currents of electricity!

The Divine Xiao Thunder in his hand darkened progressively.

It coalesced into a pellet the size of a green pea—an embodiment of thunder waiting to burst forth.

[Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure: 100x]

At last.

When compressed to 100x, the Divine Xiao Thunder pellet had reached Li Che’s current limit.

There was no more room to squeeze it further; yet the latent explosive force within sent shivers down his spine!

With a flick of his fingers, the compressed Divine Xiao Thunder pellet silently sliced through the air.

It was as though space itself twisted under its passage, distorted by its terrifying energy!

The pellet floated slowly before settling at the center of Mo City Shandu.

Li Che sensed that this tiny pellet, containing an apocalyptic destructive force, had landed on the ground, melting the bricks into dust.

And the pellet continued to spin,

annihilating everything within an inch-radius into a vacuum field!

A wide grin spread across Li Che’s face.

It was as if he had finally crafted a delightful toy.

Or rather, he was jubilant at the impending explosive upgrade of his Guanyin Lotus Bullet.

His fingers slowly clenched.

Boom!

The condensed, 100x-compressed Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellet exploded with a deafening blast!

Mo City Shandu shook violently—as if besieged by a full-scale divine tribulation assault!

The ground trembled wildly!

Above Mo City, dark clouds churned, and the Mo Rain poured down in a frenetic deluge.

On the surface, a colossal crater ten zhang in diameter appeared—the explosion’s range was small, but its power was astronomical, reaching the levels of a Divine Calamity!

Even Li Che’s eyes flickered in astonishment.

Is this the destructive power of a 100x-compressed Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellet?

It was incredibly powerful!

Though its range was limited to ten zhang—

but that was because it was just one pellet!

Imagine combining countless 100x-compressed Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellets into one—

it would truly be nuclear-grade power!

Crafting a real nuclear bomb would no longer be just a fantasy!

With such force, could that Second Calamity Black Bull Demon God Supreme possibly withstand it?!

Moreover, this wasn’t even the ultimate form of the hand-crafted Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellet.

The 100x compression was Li Che’s limit, not that of Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure itself—

with the further growth of his inner strength, he might one day achieve 1000x or even 10,000x compression!

Imagine the terrifying explosions then…

The only pity was that crafting these Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellets wasn’t easy—it took time.

Moreover, the sheer number of Divine Xiao Thunder bolts was also an issue.

Fortunately, the Huang Mei Great Master who had broken into the Divine Calamity realm could barely muster the power of one of the Three Calamities—his Divine Xiao Thunder Tribulation force was just enough.

Boom, boom, boom—the Dao Fruits began to pulsate in rapid succession,

their Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure interlinking,

combining in a synergistic display.

For example—

the Xiangong Gatling Dao Fruit now pulsed furiously, thanks to the emergence of the Divine Xiao Prison Thunder Pellets born under 100x Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure.

Xiangong Gatling, Barrett, Guanyin Main Battle Tank, Guanyin Lotus Bullet, and others—

all were set to receive a massive upgrade!

The Underworld was about to—

trade its slingshot for a cannon!

Its firepower… would skyrocket once again!